On January 9, 2026, Epic Games opened in-island transaction publishing for all eligible Fortnite developers. This changes how UEFN studios make money.
The mechanics
Developers can create durable and consumable items and sell them for V-Bucks inside their own islands. Players buy through the normal V-Bucks flow.
The revenue split: creators keep 100% of V-Bucks value through January 31, 2027. That works out to roughly 74% of what the player actually paid, after platform fees. After the promotional period, the creator share drops to 50%.
What changed
Until now, UEFN developers earned money one way: engagement-based payouts, distributed by how much time players spent in their islands. That model rewarded retention, not necessarily quality or creativity.
Direct commerce is different. Studios can sell specific items, which means the business model no longer depends entirely on keeping people in the experience as long as possible. For studios building branded work, this also changes how deals with brand partners can be structured.
Timeline
The tools entered preview in UEFN on November 11, 2025. Publishing was originally scheduled for December but slipped to January 9, 2026.